Offset disk harrow links



W. R. FRAN K OFFSET DISK HARROW LINKS Sept. 2, 1952 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1Filed Feb. 2, 1948 FIG. l

JNVENTOR.

WILLIAM R. FRANK A TORNEYS Sept. 2, 1952 w. R. FRANK OFFSET DISK HARRowLINKS 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Filed Feb. 2, 1948 INVENTOR. WILLIAM R. FRANKPatented Sept. 2, 1952 I l V2,608,813

OFFSET DISK HARROW LINKS. e, William E. Frank, Bell, Calif.,as'sgnorkvto John Deere'Killefer Company, `Los Angeles, Calif., a

corporation of California Application'liebruary 2, 1948, Serial N0.v5.,7 85 The present invention'relates generally to agricultural implementsvandv more particularly to disk harrows, with particular reference todisk harrows of' the oiset type, and has for itsprincipal object theprovision of a noveland improved harrow which is simple and eilicient'but strong and durable in operation.

A further object of this invention relates to the provision of new andimproved 'linkage connecting the front and rearv gangs for anchoringmovement in a generally horizontal direction, said linkage beingespecially constructed and arranged to resist those forces which, duetothe vention relates to the provision of interconnect-l ing linkagebetween the front and rear .gangs of an offset disk harrow, the linkageincludingrigid generally U-shaped bars hingedly connected with the gangsfor movement about relatively vertical axes, with means connecting theend rportionsof the U-shaped members for :adjusting the position of one.gang relative to the other in a generally vertical direction :thusproviding for leveling the gangs. 3

A further object of my invention relates to the' provision ofv a novelandimproved means for connecting a iiuid pressure actuated-powerunit,such asa hydraulic cylinder'and piston assembly, Vbetween the frontand rear gangs which are-'interconnected together for movement in ahorozontal plane by rigid link means whichY are so "constructed andarranged as to prevent any undesired vertical displacement of eitherend'oi either lgang relative to the other gang.

vThese and other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparentYto those skilled in the art after a consideration of. the followingdetailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawingsin which: 1

Figure 1 is a perspective view'sho'wing one form Yof oiset'disk harrowin which the principles of the present invention*` have beenlincorporated. Figure 2 is a fragmentary sectionali'view taken generallyalong the line 2 2 of FigurefLillus v z claims; (or, ssi-* sa),

, Z e tratingthe pintlefand bearing sleeve construetion, with associatedparts, whereby rigidity against vertical displacement between the gangsis attained, this gure also showing the connection between the rearendofthe angling link and the rear gang. y y

Figure 3 is a modified form of connection between the angling link andtherear gang.

'Referring `now to the drawing-s, particularly Figures 1 and 2, theoiiset disk harrow in which the principles of the present invention havebeen incorporated is indicated in its entirety by the reference number 5and comprises a front gang 6 and a rear gang l, each of the gangsincluding `a horizontally disposed ystructural frame 8 S, within whichis mounted a series of soil working disks I0, Il. If desired, -thefront'and rear gangs 6 and l maybe substantially identical, but thefront gang is arranged with its disks iacing'in, one direction while therear gang 'l is arranged with its disks facing yin the other direction.'In each gang, the disks are mounted ony a gang bolt 20 and revolve as aunit, the gang. bolt 20 or Veachgan'g being supportedin verticaldepending brackets 2l carried by the end members of the gang frame.

The front and rear gangs 6 and 1 are interconnected by linkage which,according tothe principles of the present invention, is so constructedand arranged as to accommodate the movement of one disk gang relative tothe other in a generally horizontal direction but movement of eitherdisk gang'relative to the, other in any other direction, particularlyvertically, is resisted. f According kto .the present invention, therear member of the front gang frame ,8 carries a pair of generallyvertically disposed bearing sleeve sections 23 and 24 xed to the rearmember of' the front gang frame inv laterally spaced relation.Preferably, butv not necessarily, the bearing sleeve sections 23 and 24are welded to the rear member of the frontgang frame 8,

, `A pair of similar vertically disposed bearing sleeve sections and 36are connected in laterally spacedfrelation to the front member of .therear :gang `frame; l. The bearing sleeve section 35 is fixed on a plate,3'!V that isdisposed vertically-in infront ofthe forward frame Vmeren,-

ber of the reargang frame `land is secu-red thereto by means of pairs ofupper and lower'bolts 38 which extend through openings in thefplate n3l,

above and below the front member 40. of the rear gangframe, therearendsof theijbolts 38, extendingthrough opening'sin yassoc'sia'.tedflanged slid-1 able-l-connectorsg, the'flange's of which "engageloosening the bolts 38 and 42 the plates 3'! and tions 35 and 36, may beadjusted along the front member of the rear gang frame'l, as desired. Byadjusting both plates laterallyin the same direction along the rear gangframe, the rear disks' may be adjusted relative to the ridgesgand fur,-Arows left by the front disks, and by'adjusting one of the plates 31 and4| relative to the other the angle between the gangs in the position ofmaximum .angle may` b e'adjusted. In orderto provide a limit for themaximum angleto which the gangs may` be swung whilein working vposi-.tion, a Apair of overlappingstraps 45 and 46 are provided, the strap 45being xed to the plate 31 and the strap .46 being ixed to the plate 4|.Abutment of the outer ends of the strap members with the oppositebearingsleeve section or a portion of the opposite plate serves to-limit theminimum distance Abetween the plates 31 and 4|. Y

A pair of crossed link members`5| and 52 serve to rigidly interconnectthe front and rear gang frames 8 and 8 so as to accommodate horizontalmovement of one gang .relative to the other. Each of these link membersvis substantially identical with the other, andhencea detaileddescription of one will suffice. 'I'he link member 5| comprises agenerally U-shapedrigid bar 54 having vertically disposed pintlesections 55 and 56 and an intermediate section '51 -connecting thepintle sections. The forward.. or pintlevsection 55is disposed for.rocking movementabout 'a'.vertical axis in the bearingsleeve .23 on thefront gang 3 and the rear pintlesection 5E is disposed for rockingm'overne'ntyinV the ,vertical bearing sleeve section35 on the rear gangframe 9., In addition to `the rigid U-shapved bar v54, ther link member5| includes a tension member 6| extending through openings in vthe'outerendsmof the associated pintle sections 55, and 56. One end of thetension memberv 6| carries 'a' head 62 while the other-end is threadedand carries an adjusting nut 53.. v f e l The other link member 52 isconstructed as just described for thelink member 5|, the link member 52having its forward pintle section 55 disposed in the bearing,sleevesection 23 and its rear pintle sectionV 55 disposed'in theubearingsleeve section 35,th`e link member 5| havin'g'its pintle sectionsVextending upwardly wli'ilef'the link member 52 has its pintle sectionsextending downwardly so as Vto" provide adequatev clearance between theintermediate sections 51 of the rigid --shaped bars' 54. The dispositionof the tension links'e'ctions 6| connecting the outer ends of the pintlesections provides the necessary clearancev between the-.tension sectionsB2 and theintermediate portions 54 of therigid members, 'due to the'bendor curved portion between thel piritle sections and 'the centrai orinter.- mediate portions of' the rigid bars.

YA hitch member 'I6- is pivotal-ly connected atits rear `end't-oabracket 12 xed to the front frame member ofgthe front gang frame Gf Abell crank 13 is pivotally connecte-d' t-o afbnacket '14 also xed servesto swing the bell crank 13. 4|, together with associated bearing sleeves ecto the front frame member of the front gang frame 8. One arm of thebell crank receives one end of ra transverse extensible draft member 15,the other end being pivotally connected to a bracket 16 carried by thehitch member 10. A power unit in the form of a cylinder 'and pistonassembly pivotally connected, .as at 8|, to

th bracket 12 'and thejpistn'portn f'the unit 8Ul is pivotallyconnected" to 'the' bellv crank 13 whereby extension and retraction ofthe unit 80 An arm 83 on the latter is pivotally connected to the frontend of `an angling link 84, the rear end of which, in

one-form of the .present invention, is apertured "and receives the upperend of the rear pintle section 56 of the link member 5|. lPower isdelivered to the unit 80 through a pair of hose lines 86. The latterlare flexible 'and extend to hydraulic control mechanism (not shown) onthe tractor to' Which the forward end of the hitch member lll isconnected. VWhen the unit 80 is retracted, -a pull is exerted through'the angling link 84,1and, acting against the front gang-'6, the forcesexerted by the uni-t 88 swing the gangs 6 and Iv into an angled orworking position.' Extension vof the unit 8|)` swings the gangs 6 and 1in the other direction into a parallel'or transport position. f

When the gangs are in their angled or working position the soil pressureagainst the concave sidesof the disks of one gang tend to cause thatgang to tilt so that one end tends to run too deep and the other endtends vto run out of the ground.- Conversely, the' soil pressure actingagainst the disks of the other gang, in which the disks face in theopposite direction, tends to cause the other gang to tilt in the otherdirection. However, the rigid crossed link members 5| Vand 52 eiectivelyresist any vertical displacement of either end of either of the gangsalthough providing for free swinging action in a horizontal action,under the control ofthe power unit 8D. The link members 5| and 52 are soarranged that the rigid U-shaped bars are subjected primarily tocompression stresses while-the associated tension'sections 6| aresubjected primarily only to tensile stresses. This provides a very rigidinterconnecting linkage between the gangs which effectively-hold them ina common horizontal plane yet without the heavy Y cumbersome partsheretofore found necessary;

Further, adjusting the tension links 6|.that extend between the verticalpintle'sections of the rigid U-shape'dbars serves to bring the gangs toa level or horizontal position and thusaccommodates not only for slightmanutacturing'et'oler- 'ances'but also for any wear that may occurbetween the pintle sections and the vassociated bearing sleeve sections.

'Referring now to Figure 3, under certain condition'sit may not bedesirable to'. connect the angling link 84 directly to the outer end-ofthe associated pintle section 56 Ibut to connect the link Ato the reargang at a point laterally inwardly thereof. Ink that case I prefer toWeldor otherwise x a bracket 9| to the associated plate 4| or the upperend of the associated bearing sleeve section 36, the bracket carrying astud 93 which connects the rear end of the link 84 to the rear gangframe. If desired, however, the outer end of the*` bracket 9| may beapertured Iand the rear end of theangle link 84 turned downwardly toconnect into `thebrack-et aperture, insube` stantially the same Way thatthe forward end of the linkgAU-is connected pivotally to the -bell crankarm 83 in Figure l.,v

While I have shown and described above the preferred structure in whichthe principles of the present invention have been incorporated, it is tobe understood that my invention is not to be limited to the particulardetails shown and described above, but that, in fact, widely differentmeans may be employed in the practice of the broader aspects of myinvention.

What I claim, therefor, and desire to secure by Letters Paftent is:

1. An offset disk harroW comprising a pair of tandem disk gangs, eachgang including a generally horizontal frame, said gangs being normallydisposed in oppositely angled relation and with the disks of one gangfacing in one direction and the disks of the other gang facing in thegenerally opposite direction, whereby in operation one gang tends tortilt in one direction and the other gang tends to tilt in the otherdirection, and connecting linkage acting between said gangs so as tohold said gang frames substantially in the same generally horizontalplane comprising a pair of cross link members pivotally connected attheir opposite ends to said gangs at laterally spaced points, each o-fsaid link members comprising a generally U-shaped rigid bar havinggenerally vertically disposed pintle` sections, and bearing sleevemembers on said gang frames for receiving said pintle sections, one ofsaid U-shaped bars being arranged so that its central portion lies in anupper position with the pintle sections extending downwardly therefromand the other of said bars being arranged so that its central portionlies in a lower position with its pintle sections extending upwardlytherefrom, whereby said rigid bars may cross with clearance betweentheir central portions while said sleeve members may bev connected tosaid gang frames in substantially the same vertical relation withrespect to said frames.

2. An oiset disk harrow comprising a pair of tandem disk gangs, and apair of crossed link members pivotally connected at their opposite endsto said gangs at laterally spaced points, each of said link memberscomprising a generally U-shaped rigid bar having generally verticallydisposed pintle sections and a central section joined to said pintlesection by a curved portion, bearing sleeve members on said gangs forreceiving said pintle sections, and a tension link connecting the outerends of the pintle sections of each link member and lying in a planeclosely adjacent the plane of the adjacent ends of the bearing sleevemembers, one of said U-shaped bars being arranged so that its centralportion lies in an upper position with the pintle sections extendingdownwardly therefrom and the other of said bars being arranged so thatits central portion lies in a lower position With its pintle sectionsextending upwardly rtherefrom whereby in operation the central portionof each bar will be stressed in compression and each link will bestressed in tension, said sleeve member being connected to said gangframes in substantially the same vertical relation with respect to saidframes and each rtension link lying generally in the space between theplane of the adjacent ends of the bearing sleeve members and the centralsection of the associated U-shaped bar.

WILLIAM R. FRANK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

